Cardiothoracic surgeon Andrew Brownlee, M.D., is doing his part to make the Valley a destination for world-class care.

Although he tried to resist it, Andrew Brownlee, M.D., was destined to join the family business. Growing up, he was surrounded by inspiring figures in the medical field, including his
mother, an ICU nurse, and his father, a cardiothoracic surgeon.

“I had no intention of becoming a doctor,” he laughs. “But it ended up being the path I was drawn to. I thought I was going to be a general surgeon. Then when I got onto the cardiothoracic
surgery rotation in medical school, I absolutely loved it.”

Today, he’s a cardiothoracic surgeon on staff at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center and an assistant professor of surgery at Cedars-Sinai. He values the profound commitment of our staff.

“From the administration to the OR nurses and scrub techs to working with the Tarzana Foundation, it’s so clear everyone here is passionate about what they do,” he says. “When people are passionate, they’re always trying to improve on what they’re doing. It’s such a pleasure to work with people who elevate each
other. They elevate me.”

Innovating is a team effort

According to Dr. Brownlee, the most rewarding part of his job is traveling with his patients from diagnosis to treatment to cure. “Our field is changing so fast that people who would not have
survived five years ago are now in a maintained remission and have normal lives because of these incredible new therapies coming out every year.”

The ION System is the latest innovation Dr. Brownlee says is revolutionizing care. Primarily supported by philanthropy, the ION system uses a robotic platform that visualizes and executes precise, minimally invasive biopsies in some of the most hard-to-reach areas of the lung where malignant cancers frequently begin. The new system eliminates the need for more invasive surgical biopsies of the lung associated with increased pain and complications.

The ION system is part of a larger initiative to create a world-class cardiothoracic program at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. “We’ve spent about a year building the
program, bringing in brand-new advanced methods of diagnosis and treatment,” he says. “It’s been a huge team effort. It would not have been possible without the immense support of our donor community. Thanks to philanthropy, Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center is becoming the epicenter of extremely advanced care in the Valley.”